By Diane Smith
Record-Courier staff writer
HIRAM — A sandstone statue carved in the image of President James A. Garfield was beheaded, only hours after the building it stands outside was dedicated Thursday.
The statue, which dates back to 1914, recently was moved to the corner of S.R. 700, S.R. 82 and S.R. 305 outside a Greek-revival style church that was relocated to Hiram College.
College spokesman Shawn Brown said the vandalism took place some time between 10 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday, when Hiram College employees came in to work.
The building, which is the new home of Hiram College’s Garfield Institute for Public Leadership, was meticulously re-assembled, restored and unveiled in a dedication ceremony Thursday. The structure, a former church where Garfield is believed to have once delivered a sermon, was relocated to the site from Trumbull County.
The sandstone statue was recently discovered by Paul Martin, a trustee of the college, at a farm in Frazeysburg. It had been in storage until this week, when it was moved to its permanent location in a view out of the building’s north windows, facing the college.
Brown said police are searching for leads. Tim Bryan, vice president for institutional advancement, sent an e-mail to the college community Friday, asking anyone with information to call the Hiram Police Department at 330-569-3236.
It is unknown whether the head could be put back on the statue if it is found.
“We’re hopeful that we can get the head back so we can make the necessary repairs to the statue,” he said.
Garfield was a student of the college from 1851 to 1853 when it was still known as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. Later, he served as principal of the school, teaching Greek, Latin, mathematics and geology. He left the college in 1861 to serve in the Civil War.